Heavy Hitting in the Postseason

by John Gettings

With all the excitement over home runs, the end of a legendary streak, and Beanie Babies in Major League Baseball this season, some fans may have forgotten that they still have playoffs and a World Series to look forward to.

The 1998 postseason will be the first in more than 20 years to include three teams with more than 100 regular-season victories each. New York (114-48), Atlanta (106-56), and Houston (102-60) are casting the biggest shadows this October, while Cleveland, Boston, Texas, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Diego are hoping for some postseason upsets.

There's no doubt there will be a new world champion. The 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins either traded or sold off all their key players, which took them out of the running by late May.

With all the baseball excitement in September, October has got its work cut out for it. The beginning of the end of this historic season starts with Game 1 of the 1998 World Series on the night of Saturday, October 17.

What's the perfect way to end the 1998 baseball season? A summer that saw Maris' number fall, a rookie's 20 Ks, a perfect game and Cal Ripken take a day off for the first time since 1982? How about a Cubs / Red Sox World Series to end each team's almost century-long wait for another chance to be called "world champions"?